Method of obtaining even flow of gases through a regenerator



Sept. 21, 1965 R. B. SNOW 3,207,817

METHOD OF OBTAINING EVEN FLOW OF GASES THROUGH A REGENERATOR Filed Sept. 20, 1963 E1121 1. 2 l4 1L/8 I I I INVENTOR. ROLAND B. SNOW Attorney 3,207,817 METHOD F OBTAINING EVEN FLGW 0F GASES THROUGH A REGENERATGR Roland B. Snow, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New .iersey Filed Sept. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 310,280 2 Claims. (Cl. 263-52) This invention relates to a method of obtaining even flow of gases through a regenerator and more particularly through the regenerators or checkers of a steel producing open hearth furnace. Most of the gases entering the regenerator from the furnace flow through the checker openings at the end of the checker chamber away from the bridge wall and because of the lower gas velocities in the area near the bridge wall the dust and fumes from the furnace are deposited in the openings on the bridge wall side of the checker chamber. This requires frequent cleaning of these checker openings. Moreover the nonuniform flow of the gases results in uneven and ineflicient heating of the checker work. When cold air enters the checker chamber the majority of the air will pass through the passageways adjacent the bridge wall. Thus the majority of the air being heated will pass through the part of the checker work which is heated to a lesser temperature, this resulting in inefiicient operation of the regenerators.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a method of obtaining even flow of gases through the regenerators.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a regenerator of an open hearth furnace incorporating my invention; and

FIGURE 2 is an isometric sectional view of the regenerator of FIGURE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates a chamber for receiving checker work 4 having generally vertical flues 6 therein. The checker work terminates above the bottom of the chamber 2 so as to provide a first passageway 8 and terminates below the roof thereof so as to provide a second passageway 10. The chamber 2 has a bridge wall 12 adjacent the furnace end thereof. An opening 14 in the bridge wall 12 leads to a slag pocket 16. The slag pocket 16 is connected to an uptake 18. The chamber 2 has an end wall 2% at the end opposite the bridge wall 12 and a flue 22 is connected to the passageway 8 through an opening 24. The parts so far described are conventional.

According to my invention I provide a plurality of nozzles 26 which pass through the bridge wall 12 and are directed along the passageway 8. A plurality of similar nozzles 28 are provided in the end wall 20 and are directed along the passageway 10.

Assuming that the hot gases from the furnace are passing through checker work 4, jets of high pressure gas are delivered through the nozzles 26 across the width of passageway 8 and along the length thereof. In other words the jets are directed in alignment and co-current with gases leaving the checker chamber. The gas may be air, nitrogen or oxygen, but is preferably steam. The velocity of the gas must be such as to provide an aspirating effect so as to increase the velocity of the flue gases through the part of the checkers that usually receive a minor portion of the gases.

When the furnace is reversed to pass air through the checker chamber 2, the gas to the nozzles 26 is shut off by means of a valve 30 and the gas to nozzles 28 turned on United States Patent 0 by means of a valve 32. This directs jets of gas across the width of chamber 10 along the length thereof so as to aspirate air and increase the velocity thereof through the end of the checker Work 4 adjacent the end. wall 20.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a regenerator for an open hearth furnace or the like including a chamber having a bridge wall adapted to be adjacent a furnace and an end wall opposite the bridge wall, checker work in said chamber having generally vertical openings therethrough, said checker work terminating above the bottom of said chamber to provide a first generally horizontal passageway, said checker work terminating below the roof of said chamber to provide a second generally horizontal passageway, a flue through said end Wall connected to said first passageway, said bridge wall having an opening in the top thereof connecting with said second passageway; the method which comprises passing hot gases from a furnace through said checker work and into said first passageway toward said flue, introducing a jet of gas at an aspirating velocity greater than the velocity of said hot gases into said first passageway adjacent said bridge wall and directing it toward said end wall, then stopping passage of said hot gases, then flowing air from said flue through said checker work into said second passageway toward said bridge wall, and introducing a jet of gas at aspirating velocity greater than the velocity of said air 1 into said second passageway adjacent said end wall and directing it toward said bridge wall.

2. In a regenerator for an open hearth furnace or the like comprising a chamber having a bridge wall adapted to be adjacent a furnace and an end Wall opposite the bridge wall, checker work in said chamber having generally vertical openings therethrough, said checker work terminating above the bottom of said chamber to provide a first generally horizontal passageway, said checker work terminating below the roof of said chamber to provide a second generally horizontal passageway, a flue through said end wall connected to said first passageway, said bridge wall having an opening in the top thereof connecting with said second passageway; the method which comprises passing hot gases from a furnace through said checker work and into said first passageway toward said flue, introducing a plurality of jets of gas at an aspirating velocity greater than the velocity of said hot gases into said first passageway across the width thereof at the end adjacent said bridge wall and directing it toward said end wall, then stopping passage of said hot gases, then flowing air from said flue through said checker work into said second passageway toward said bridge wall, and introducing a plurality of jets of gas at an aspirating velocity greater than the velocity of said air into said second passageway across the width thereof at the end adjacent said end wall and directing it toward said bridge wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 308,518 11/84 Pew 263-15 X 494,198 3/93 Hall 263-19 X 2,176,674 10/39 Lindemuth 263-19 X 2,200,668 5/40 Carlson 263-19 CHARLES SUKALO, Primary Examiner.

JOHN J. CAMBY, Examiner. 

1. IN A REGENERATOR FOR AN OPEN HEARTH FURNACE OR THE LIKE INCLUDING A CHAMBER HAVING A BRIDGE WALL ADAPTED TO BE ADJACENT A FURNACE AND AN END WALL OPPOSITE THE BRIDGE WALL, CHECKER WORK IN SAID CHAMBER HAVING GENERALLY VERTICAL OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, SAID CHECKER WORK TERMINATING ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER TO PROVIDE A FIRST GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PASSAGEWAY, SAID CHECKER WORK TERMINATING BELOW THE ROOF OF SAID CHAMBER TO PROVIDE A SECOND GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PASSAGEWAY, A FLUE THROUGH SAID END WALL CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY, SAID BRIDGE WALL HAVING AN OPENING IN THE TOP THEREOF CONNECTING WITH SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY; THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES PASSING HOT GASES FROM A FURNACE THROUGH SAID CHECKER WORK AND INTO SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY TOWARD SAID FLUE, INTRODUCING A JET OF GAS AT AN ASPIRATING VELOCITY GREATER THAN THE VELOCITY OF SAID HOT GASES INTO SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY ADJACENT SAID BRIDGE WALL AND DIRECTING IT TOWARD SAID END WALL, THEN STOPPING PASSAGE OF SAID HOT GASES, THEN FLOWING AIR FROM SAID FLUE THROUGH SAID CHECKER WORK INTO SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY TOWARD SAID BRIDGE WALL, AND INTRODUCING A JET OF GAS AT ASPIRATING VELOCITY GREATER THAN THE VELOCITY OF SAID AIR INTO SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY ADJACENT SAID END WALL AND DIRECTING IT TOWARD SAID BRIDGE WALL. 